PETITION Update: Email to Chief Executive of Walsall Council, Mr Paul Sheehan

Dear Mr Sheehan, Petition: https://www.change.org/p/sandwell-council-removal-of-unauthorised-encampments-on-the-yew-tree-delves I have today received your letter Ref: PS/CW/JP/2675 dated 25th August. Whilst I thank you for your comments it doesn’t address the content of the petition that has been sent into Sandwell Council’s CE Jan Britton to take a lead on. We as a community wish to be engaged and involved in the decision making process and we’d very much welcome the opportunity to arrange a meeting and/or receive your invite to discuss further. Currently we have received an acknowledgement of our petition from Sandwell Council although no date for it to be read or presented to committee has been advised. We have yet to receive any communication from Sandwell’s Chief Executive or any direct contact from the office of Chief Constable David Thompson. Further more there has been no contact from our MP Tom Watson, although MP Valerie Vaz has been in touch, there has been no contact from the Councillors of the Paddock Ward and only Chris Worsey from Great Barr & Yew Tree, which includes West Bromwich Town Lead Cllr Melia, has been in touch. However Cllr Chris Worsey had agreed to meet today and was to advise a time/venue and after chasing up the last few days he then advised he had other meetings to attend today. He was fully aware that I could not attend anything this morning but was free from 1pm. I have offered other available times and hope he will contact. I have also emailed Nick Bubalo of Sandwell who was quoted as seeking to set up a “Task Force”, alas again no response. The lack of communication in this matter has been very poor, a point acknowledged by local Police and I hope that a petition in excess of 1350 signatories is not ignored and we are able to put forward our case as per its contents especially seeking that all agencies work together, and include us the community, in seeking solutions. I should advise that there is a feeling within our community that travellers may well soon be pitching up again and we’d ask yourselves and the Neighbourhood Police Teams to monitor the three sites that have been previously encamped on. I look forward to this matter being given a high priority and that we the community of Yew Tree and Delves are not ignored. Many thanks,